Experimental Pronghorn Season Set to Open Saturday

AUSTIN — A new experimental hunting season in parts of the Texas Panhandle Sept. 28-Oct. 6 will allow landowners to control harvest of buck pronghorn on their properties. The experimental season will be in herd units 8, 17, and 25, which include portions of Dallam, Hartley, Sherman, Moore, Roberts, and Gray counties.

Under prior statewide regulations, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department determined the pronghorn harvest quota and issued permits directly to landowners. With the new pronghorn rules, landowners or their agents within selected pronghorn management units in the northeast and northwest Panhandle will determine the harvest quota and control buck pronghorn harvest on their property during the three-year pilot project. Hunters are reminded they must receive landowner permission to access their property.

The goal of the project is to simplify pronghorn hunting regulations and increase hunting opportunities in areas with stable populations. Wildlife officials will closely monitor pronghorn herds during the pilot project to ensure populations remain healthy.

Hunters are required to present the intact, unfrozen head of harvested pronghorn at a mandatory check station within 24 hours of harvest, so TPWD wildlife staff can collect essential biological information from the harvested animal. These data will be analyzed annually to make sure populations remain healthy. Check stations are at the following locations:

In Dalhart, at the park off of Lake Drive. Check station is across from People’s Church (1929 Apache Dr.). GPS coordinates of Dalhart check station (36.038269, -102.506358),

Check stations will be open through the 9-day season (Sept. 28 – Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and the following Monday (Oct. 7) 9 a.m. to noon.

A check station receipt will be given to each hunter to provide proof of compliance with the mandatory check station regulation. Hunters who harvest pronghorn outside the experimental area are also encouraged to bring their harvest in at the check stations to contribute biological data. Wildlife staff will age their harvest for free.